


Steam

by Glitter_Lisp



Series: The World From Water [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hurt Remus, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 16:32:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4673690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glitter_Lisp/pseuds/Glitter_Lisp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two injured men find shelter, and perhaps a little healing, in an old motel bathroom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Steam

The squeak of a rusty handle, and then suddenly water is pulled through an old pipe and shot out of a shower head. Each drop has only a few seconds before it hits the grimy tiles and slinks away down the drain, except for the few that change into steam upon leaving the shower head and coalesce above, near the mildewed ceiling, to watch what’s happening.

What happening is not a lot. It’s quiet, and it’s slow, and it’s soft and muted. The steam approves, and moves languidly around the two men in the small bathroom. Small droplets break off from the steam to bead on their bare skin, dripping down to try to wash away the grime and coax them into the shower, which will do a much better job of it.

They’re about the same height, the steam realizes as it curls around them, but one is hunched in on himself so that he appears smaller, curled up against the other, who strokes his arm. The bones are trying to poke through the skin; it looks like he’s trying to press them back into place.

“Just a shower, Remus,” he whispers. “You always loved showers, you’d spend forever in there when we were kids.” Remus turns his head to hide his face against the other man’s collarbone. “It’ll feel nice, I promise. Just long enough to wash your hair and get some of the dirt off of you, yeah?” He runs his fingers over the filthy brown locks on Remus’s head. It barely reaches his chin, cut jaggedly across. Clearly a quick fix.

The steam floats across Remus’ shoulders, tickling the back of his neck, and he finally sighs. “You’ll stay?”

“’Course, Rem,” the other man says soothingly, pulling back just long enough to strip his clothing off and help Remus with his own pants, as quickly and carefully as a nurse. “Come on in, the water’s warm,” he teases, and gently tugs Remus into the steam of the motel shower.


End file.
